Kite Flying Society Calls It Quits

Repost from Dustin:

KFS Amicably Breaking Up :(
Body: Hey Friends -

Just wanted to give you a heads up on the status of Kite Flying Society -- we are now just friends instead of bandmates. There are a number of reasons why this is happening; however, it is mainly because two of our members are moving away from San Diego -- Derek to San Francisco and John to Shanghai! This seemed like a good time for all of us to pursue other things, musical and otherwise.

Regarding The Aviary (for which we have about 9 tracks finished) -- I believe we are going to be putting those up as free downloads on our myspace page very soon. We might do something Radiohead-esque and put our PayPal link below the tracks, letting you decide how much or how little you think we deserve for our efforts.

As for my personal musical future, I am taking 3-4 of my favorite, unpublished tracks from The Aviary recordings and combining them with a number of new songs to begin my next music project. I have all kinds of stuff written from this past year that I want to release. I am very excited about this and I will release tracks and details regarding the new project very soon.

Finally, I wanted to thank you all for the love, support, comments, wishes, and letters -- you have truly made our efforts rewarding. I wish you all the best.

love,
Dustin

Friday Night: Kite Flying Society, Red Pony Clock, Scarlet Symphony, Aleuchatistas, Sleeping People

Friday night I didn’t quite motivate early enough for the South Park Walkabout, but I did get Natalie and make it in time for Pussy Galore at the Whistle Stop. Kite Flying Society was already playing when we got there with movies running on a screen as a backdrop. It was that backdrop and the fact that the room was packed that I opted to keep my camera in my purse for most of the evening. Kite Flying’s set was of mostly new stuff that will be on their next release, tentatively expected to drop in September will all of it’s picnic-in-the-park style la la and ooh oooh goodness. It seems like Kelly’s backup vocals are more pronounced in the new material, which to me could never be a bad thing.

Kelly Duley and Dennis Tashima

Red Pony Clock also played but by that point, the bar was even more crowded and I was busy talking with friends. It seems a kinda theme at Whistle Stop, that bands play the soundtrack to socializing versus being a “show” where every shuts up and listens intently (or at least should shut up). I like Red Pony Clock’s quirky indie music and hope they were able to get a drummer for their tour.

When the band finished, the dj music cranked up, and though it was Sunset Rubdown (or was that Wolf Parade), I’m not much for yelling over music, so I headed to my next destination. Natalie stuck around with her friends who would give her a ride since she lives close by.

I headed to the Tower Bar for Scarlet Symphony. There was a short line that disappeared while I stood outside talking to Dustin and Andrew. Inside, Mick made me a special somethin’ somethin’ and I made my way toward the front where Abraham let me scoot in front. Scarlet Symphony is engaging but even more than that, their big fans are rabid, singing along with every song and dancing their asses off.

Scarlet Symphony

After a few songs and a few bumps too many, I decided that I didn’t want yet another night of wearing my drink and made my way out of the crowd. After a few more songs, I realized how late it had become and didn’t wanna go overboard with another drink, so I called it a night there, too.

I headed back home, dropped off my car and walked to the Ken, where Sleeping People were playing. I appreciate their talent and all, but was more content sitting at the bar as the night wound down. I met Derek, the bassist for Aleuchatistas who was really, really cool. They were on tour from North Carolina. He asked why I wasn’t in watching the band, I answered that I wasn’t in the mood for what I thought would be proggy mathy cock rock and he said, “then you should be glad you missed us, too.”

Derek (Aleuchatistas) & me

Though, for the record, Devlin, the Ken Club bartender loved them, and he pretty much doesn’t like 90% of the bands that play there. No offense to other bands, it just is what it is. So anyway, a high compliment to the Aleuchatistas (who have also never received less than an 8 on Pitchfork, if that has any standing with you.) Derek introduced me to his bandmates, we hung out for a while longer, until the lights were on and the bartenders were kicking everyone out.

Casey was having an after party and the Aleuchetistas were staying with him, but they were still unloading gear, so the band came to my house for a beer, until Casey and everyone was back home and ready for them to come over.

I went with them to Casey & Danny's and everyone was pretty mellow hanging out, geeking out on vinyl and Rob Crow talking about…wait, I have no idea what he was talking about.

Anyway, I stuck around until I realized 5 am was rapidly approaching and I had to be up relatively early on Saturday, so I said my goodbyes and was on my way...not a bad way to start a Friday.

Thursday Night Thing/ Thao Nguyen/Ken Club

Is Thursday not the best day of the week? Seriously...Fridays and Saturdays are for every rookie in town...but Thursday...that's when the pros are out.

My night started at TNT. I made sure to get there relatively early because I didn't wanna deal with the clusterf*ck that it was the last time I came when the bands were on the back patio of the new wing of the museum. I was pleased to see Swim Party setting up back in front of the old wing on the patio. Sorry to say I didn't see any are, but I certainly had a good time watching the bands and the standup comics (Mal and Erik). Oh yeah, and the cocktails. Thanks for the drink tickets Larry and Andrea.

Before the show started, I had the chance to chat with Derek Rast of Kite Flying Society, or as we lovingly call him, "The Quarterback" (think "Popular" by Nada Surf). It was made abundantly clear to me that I have not posted specifically about Derek in the past and it is about time I had. Seriously ladies, pink jacket and all, Derek is haitch oh triple freakin tee and the dude is single. I mean, come on, look at that jawline.

And that redeye I had to correct? That's because those light eyes can't handle the flash. But come on. Do they get any cuter? The dude wore a tuxedo to the music awards. And had a bouttonniere! And by the way, did I mention his skills on the glockenspiel? Dude is on fire... get your hands on him. I told him I was going to write, "he won't f*** me, but he might f*** you" and then he said, "I might f*** you." This dude is a giver, fo sho.

Anyway, I had a great time at TNT and seeing as pretty much everyone I know was there, I know you all did, too. The kids were dancing to Swim Party and having a ball. (The one with the Swim Party sticker on his back is the nephew of Alex, the bassist of SP)

Kasey and Andrea were out, too. Oh, and 91X was there with coupons for free go-go taquitos, big gulps, and 1/4 pound big bite hot dogs...Kasey piled a dog up with all the fixins, including massive amounts of jalapeños. Hope they're treating him ok today.

Oh, yeah...and Swim Party rocked it. Before the show, a couple guys went around collecting anonymous notes that had people's secrets and confessions on them. During the show, they were projected behind the band. Like PostSecret, there is something liberating and cathartic in revealing secrets, still I was surprised how many people admitted shitting themselves. Weird. I also liked the cheating ones. As a guy walked by holding his girlfriend's hand, she asked, "So where's you wife tonight?" to which he replied, "She just got off work and is at home," and I kinda figured I knew their secret.

Kite Flying Society keeps playing the new material so a release is cleary imminent. I can't wait. They are so humble, they'd probably never tell you, but they've been invited to Athens Popfest 2007 (as have other locals Red Pony Clock), so yay for them. They've also found a replacement bassist who played last night.

Anyway, it was a good time but as soon as it started, the night was already over. My friend and I hopped on the trolley to 6th Avenue to make it to the House of Blues for Thao Nguyen and the Get Down Stand Down. It was supposed to be a sidestage show, but ended up being in Salvation Alley, probably because HoB didn't advertise the show at all. We walked in as she played "Feet Asleep" so I was happy, though she only played a few songs after that. We all know by now that I'm partial to male vocalists, so when there is a chick that I do like that I think rocks, it should convey to you that she is really good. Hand claps and all.

This was the only promotion the show got, so the half dozen of us were there but it was gooood...

After the show, my friend and I headed back to Kensington and made our way to the Ken Club to polish off the evening. It was a good night, especially evident by the fact that my only "set in stone" plan for Friday is to take a long, long nap.

Wednesday Night: Kite Flying Society & Princeton @ House of Blues 2/28/07

Last night's House of Blues show was actually down in "The Delta Room" at the House of Blues. This is the room normally saved for private parties or used as a lounge area when there is a show in the main concert hall, however last night, it was the scene of quite a good time.

Princeton was the first band and a perfect fit to play with Kite Flying Society. They are a four piece from Santa Monica who plays loose jangly pop with sweet vocals. They use guitars, keys, sometimes drums, sometimes tambourine, sometimes horns (was that an oboe??), ukeleles, etc.





I liked the band and did before the SD show was even booked (see how cool MySpace can be?), but to be honest, there's was this feeling of the room of us vs. them, in a way. Being from LA, Princeton brought a crowd, and then there are all of us locals who are friends with KFS and were also celebrating birthdays, so the locals were all chatty (yes, me too) and scattered around the lounge, and Princeton's crowd were up front videotaping and dancing and having fun. Still, the band was good and I bought their CD for $6 to compensate for my sheisty maneuverings to get into the show and avoid ridiculous drink prices. Scoreboard: Rosey 2, House of Blues- Zero.

I don't understand how the House of Blues functions sometimes. If the mainstage shows say they're going to start at 8, they pretty much start at 8. The rest of their stages, they can say 9, 9:30, 10, doesn't matter, it's never accurate, which is understandable in the sidestage room because it is the same room used for restaurant seating, but there was no reason for delays downstairs. When people pay to go into the venue, they should be allowed to go into the venue, not left to sit in the patio for 30 minutes. And think of all the $9.50 shots you could've sold in that time! Anyway, my point to all of this whining is that because the show started later than people expected, people left early. Some left, presumably, to drive back to LA, but a lot of people who paid to see KFS left because it was late and they all work early and didn't get the pre-show nap in like I did. Or maybe they just got pissed that a shot of whiskey was $9.50.

Whatever the reasons, the crowd thinned out a little but all those peeps missed out because Kite Flying Society were great. The sound wasn't perfect, but boatloads better than the sidestage. The carpeting (made to look like layered persian rugs) and sofas lended to the feeling that you were at a house party and hanging with friends and for a second you could forget that you were at the House of Blues. Well, at least until you had to order a drink. (Yow, another zinger. I will keep whining about those damn expensive measured pours.) They also played some stuff from the new album (release date: July?) which sounded good.









This picture was actually taken while the band was still playing. That's Todd the drummer on the left:



And then leaving the show, who can resist a photo in front of the Everything $5 store?



After the show, the whole venue, restaurant, and bar were shut down. Way to make us feel welcome, House of Blues! Really glad I parked on the 6th avenue side and had to walk the sketchy walk past the trolley station (aka crack alley) at midnight.

Andrea and I headed up to the Sports Club to try to catch Republic of Letters but they were already finished. We did hang out for a bit to finish celebrating Kara's b-day, but everyone has to sleep eventually, so we hit the road, but not before the mandatory tacos from La Fuente. Mmm, love that heartburn...

A couple more things: Kite Flying Society, Albert Hammond, Jr.

Tonight's Kite Flying Society Show has been changed to 21+. I heard that instead of playing the sidestage (where they have to wait for the restaurant to clear out), that tonight will be downstairs in that fancy lounge with all the comfy couches, so the show will really start when its supposed to...9pm for Princeton and 10pm for Kite Flying Society. Might still make it to Sports Club for Republic of Letters!

Also, if you plan on going to the Albert Hammond, Jr. show on Monday but don't yet have a ticket, a friend of mine told me that if you pre-order his album from Lou's Records, you get a free ticket to the show. Sweet deal...

Wednesday Night: Kite Flying Society & Grand Ole Party @ House of Blues Sidestage, 2/14/07

I don't know if I've mentioned, but I am slinging swag for Filter Magazine around town just for the measly pittance of a magazine subscription, occasional concert tickets and CDs. So after hanging Aqualung posters all around downtown at lunchtime, and stopping by M-Theory after work, I was a little pooped. Plus, it was the Season! Finale! of Beauty and The Geek, which was awesome because nice guy Nate got to show off his Cambridge based band, So Long Princess, which is a punk band whose songs are all about Star Wars. TV rocks, sometimes.

I finally motivated and by 9:30 I was in front of the Casbah trying to sell my one ticket to Rob Crow. Being Valentine's Day and all, not many people were flying solo, so it was challenging, but with the assistance of Ben the door guy being AWE.SOME., I sold the ticket and was headed to the House of Blues by 9:53.

Having stopped by after work to investigate the Pepper thing, I knew the show would start later than scheduled because the restaurant overbooked for Valentine's Day and the side stage shows cannot start until the dinner guests are gone.

Many of my friends were there, but it quickly occurred to me, why was I so eager to dump a Rob Crow ticket? I love Kite Flying Society and I love Grand Ole Party but man, the House of Blues kills me. Happy hour being an exception ($2 pints of Peroni!), it is freakin ridiculous there. There are a couple of bartenders that I've become friends with (in that patron/bartender way) and they were busting their asses but getting a drink was still a wait. (You don't get to complain about the wait if you're one of the jerks ordering goddamn martinis, by the way) A draft pint is $6 and after 10 pm they switch from glasses to plastic cups. If you want to serve my beer in a clear plastic cup then I expect to pay $5 for all I can drink and I'll write my name on the side of my cup in a black sharpie. Otherwise, I'll take a glass, thank you. Or even one of those heavy plastic pint glasses. But a keg cup? I don't think so. Should I drink my beer with a straw, too?

More than all that, though, is the sound quality. The concert hall blows. People who show up don't shut up. The sound is only good if you're within 4 feet of the stage and dead center. The SideStage is equally as ridiculous and made a lot of people hate the Silversun Pickups before they loved them. If you went to the bathroom at any time during the sidestage show back then or last night you wonder how any band could be considered good because the speakers isolate and distort only the lead vocals. God awful is an understatement.

Kite Flying Society took to the stage just before 11 pm. They played a good set of old and new stuff and a cover of the Cure which defintely took me back to the Valentine's Day dances in junior high. The House of Blues is so on it that before they finished their set, the house music came on throughout the restaurant and bar. Ricockulous. Anyway, here's the set list and some photos:










In between bands I was so inappropriately hit on by a man that I know that I probably should've just left because it made me grumpy. A 70 something year old man telling you he wants to make love to you would make you kinda vomit in your own mouth, too. Especially when that's your best Valentine's Day offer. ew.

But I stayed. The sound made Kristin sound pitchy but as good as it could be for that venue, I suppose. The hipsters have adopted GOP, so pretty much everyone was wearing stripes or polka dots and apparently the hipsters are now allowed to dance, so they were all groovin on the music. One guy yelled out "pure rock chaos" and this girl behind me was all excited. "'Turn On, Burn On', man, that's my jam," she told her friend. Here's their set list and some photos.









Don't misunderstand...like I said, I love both bands, but maybe I should've stayed for Rob Crow.

Valentine's Day

I skipped everything last night and opted for sleep. No wine, cheese, and dating advice. No Red Pony Clock or The Octopus Project. Just me and my dog.



But I am ready to get my ass out tonight. Guess I'm going to Rob Crow since I bought a ticket though I'm really missing out at the House of Blues sidestage for Grand Ole Party and Kite Flying Society. Kelly has a kissing booth!

Anyway, I keep gushing over Swim Party, but this time, I'm just stealing their artwork to wish all of you a happy valentine's day.

Who do you love?

It's funny how since I've started this little bloggy thingy, people ask me what I'm listening to, as if my opinion matters. They ask what local bands are on my radar, and what I like in general. I sit at a desk all day and the reality is that I can literally sit at my desk all day without exchanging any conversation with anyone in the office, so I like listening to streaming radio for stimulation. I like the radio banter on Indie. I like listening to the DJs get buzzed on Wino Wednesdays, I like how Jonesy just rambles whatever the hell he wants, and I like the sports reports from Timothy Oliphant (of the HBO series Deadwood) and news from Liz Warner. All this and the MySpace music I listen to or the Insound music player, and I don't listen to a whole bunch of CDs. And after work, I'm too busy going out to shows, you know?

On the occasion that I do pop in a CD, here's what I've been listening to (new and old stuff):
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah- Some Loud Thunder: If Satan Said Dance, I better listen, right?
Gomez- How We Operate: This was one of my favorite albums last year and I'm listening to it a lot as I try to decide whether I want to see Cold War Kids at the Casbah, or sell my ticket and buy one for Gomez and Ben Kweller on the same night at the House of Blues. Gomez are coming from across the pond, CWK are just coming down from LA, but it might be the last chance to see them in a small venue. Also, seeing Gomez last year on a harbor cruise for a KPRI Private Listener Show was amazing but the live show (as pretty much all shows at the House of Blues) left something to be desired. This brings me to
Cold War Kids- Robbers and Cowards, Up In Rags (ep), With Our Wallets Full (ep): I love these guys and notice more and more bands (especially Monarchy bands) emulating their distinct onstage style.
The Long Winters- Putting the Days To Bed: A great show last year at the Casbah, but with the poor attendance, I can't blame them for skipping San Diego on the upcoming tour dates.
Rocky Votolato- Makers, Suicide Medicine: Rocky is hands down my favorite singer/songwriter and is playing at the Casbah on April 15. I hope that he's got some new material and hope he gets a good crowd because Barsuk seems to be more focused on their other artists these days (Menomena, Jesse Sykes, et al.)
Piers Faccini- Tearing Sky: Good gray day music. It will get heavy rotation if it does in fact rain this weekend as predicted by our meteorolgical "experts" of San Dieo news.
The Brian Jacket Letdown- Piratas: Last year when South played at the Casbah, I met Thomas, who was playing keyboards for the band on tour. The Brian Jacket Letdown is his fulltime band and they are planning on recording an album starting in April. Piratas is only a 2 song CD, but I like it a lot and the band is getting buzz in England because of a recent television appearance.

I also listen to local stuff and of course have been taking in the new Vinyl Radio, "A Better Time Coming" and listening to A Week's Worth and The Burning of Rome and still spinning Kite Flying Society's "Where Is The Glow?". I have been meaning to review some stuff, like Anna Troy "Ain't No Man" and Starcrossed "Waves" but haven't had the chance.

Since my local music collection is relatively sparse, mostly I catch my local fix live, which is why tonight's Casbah show should not be missed: The Roman Spring, Republic of Letters and Swim Party. Also some of the bands I love to see live include Old Man Hands, Matt Curreri and the Ex-Friends, Plural (did they break up?), Rafter, Bunky, among many, many others.

So there it is. Thinking about all of this, I think I need to go spend some money on Insound.

Kite Flying Society at the House of Blues Sidestage

I don't like to start talking about next week until at least this week is over, however since people make plans early for Valentine's Day, I thought I would share some news with you.

Tonight marks the first night of Kite Flying Society's House of Blues Sidestage residency. Check out the nights:

2/7
Kite Flying Society

2/14
Kite Flying Society
Grand Ole Party

2/21 (ALL AGES!)
Kite Flying Society
Oh No! Oh My!

2/28 (ALL AGES!)
Kite Flying Society
Princeton

Tuesday Newsy Tidbits

I'm adding a link on my page to mVideoJukebox. A project by Dwight Jegler, there are 124 bands on the site including many older and now defunct local San Diego bands as well as bands that are still around. And speaking of....

Did you know Tim Pyles was in a band? You can see footage of the Banana Seeds? in action back in 2001 if you click the popups. Rumor has it that there have been talks for some time of a new project with Tim Pyles, Mike Halloran, Garrett Michaels and John Reis. That is a band I wanna see!

Alex of Swim Party is currently practicing with Kite Flying Society and preparing to hit the road with them this weekend for a mini tour. He says he'll play with them as long as they need him, however his priority is and will be Swim Party and he does not plan on being a permanent fixture in KFS. He may or not play with them as they do a weekly residency at the House of Blues Sidestage starting on Wednesday, February 7 and continuing each Wednesday for 4 weeks. Don't miss the show on February 28th with Princeton, a great band out of Santa Monica right in the same vein as KFS.

Musicians Wanted

If you're a musician seeking a band, here are a couple openings I'm aware of:

Kite Flying Society- seeks bassist
Vinyl Radio- drummer
Rookie Card-bassist

Both bands are sorta in the same boat...they want to tour, the current members in the available spots would be unable to do so. No drama, just time restraints.

And if anyone in Seattle reads my blog, Say Hi To Your Mom is seeking musicians, too:

In light of our recent move to Seattle, Washington and our inability to find the right candidates during our last round of employment opportunity proposals, we are happy to announce that we have begun a second wave search for one or all of the following:

(1) A drummer
(2) A girl who can sing as well as play the guitar, the bass, or the synthesizer
(3) Someone of either gender who can play the guitar, the bass, or the synthesizer

There are, of course, rules, because Say Hi does not equal chaos (for better or for worse). Most importantly, the ideal candidate(s) will live in Seattle, Washington and be willing to leave a job to go on tour for weeks at a time, beginning with seven weeks in March and April, including a stop at SXSW. You will be modestly compensated for your time on tour. It would help if you have done this sort of thing before. It would help if you like the same sorts of bands we do. It would help if you don’t get too drunk to play. It would help if you’re good at telling jokes. It would help if you don’t play notes when they aren’t necessary.

Should you be interested, please send us a little bit about yourself, links to music you’ve played on as well as some pictures of yourself, preferably clutching a variety of stuffed animals:

secondwave@sayhitoyourmom.com

You can find out more about what we do and see the sorts of venues we play here:
http://www.sayhitoyourmom.com

Regards,
Eric / Say Hi To Your Mom

Kite Flying Society Seeks Bassist

Hello Folks -

KFS is seeking a bassist in the SoCal area interested in touring with us across this great nation and recording parts for our sophomore album which we have recently begun working on.

Some prereqs for the new bassist (male or female, we don't care):

1. Someone who understands and really loves the music we're making -- do you have similar influences? Can you add somethin' pretty to this folk pop sound?

2. Someone who can SING. This is a must! We have tons of soaring harmonies, ooohs and aaahs, etc and we want to emulate our recorded sound as much as possible in our live show.

3. If you can play other instruments (keys, tambourine, glockenspiel, guitar, recorder, what have you) it would be a huge plus. Again, there are tons of sounds and parts that need playing on any given song -- we're looking for a bassist that can do lots of other things.

4. Must be willing to travel! We will be embarking on at least 2 large tours in '07 and several smaller, weekend trips up the coast. If you feel that this won't be a problem in any way, and are dedicated to the lifestyle, we'd love to meet you.

These are the main things we are looking for in a new member. If you're interested, please shoot us a myspace msg -- auditions and such will begin in early January in Balboa Park. Also, Orange County and LA peeps are of course welcome if they are willing to travel to bi-weekly-ish practices in beautiful San Diego.

Hope to hear from you,
dustin/kfs

Indie Blog Nation Loves Kite Flying Society!

KFS has made another Blog top 10 of 2006 list. I'm still debating whether a list is something I'll do for this little site o' mine, but I'm leaning toward no. But if I did, KFS and Band of Horses would be on my list, too, so I'm trusting the solid choices on this list.

This just in, here's another one!

While I'm on the subject, if you're available this Sunday, Kelly Duley's Rapsodie (or, "Rap City") Piano Studio is putting on it's annual Winter Recital. This year is extra cute and heart-warming as many of her littlest students (4-6 year olds) will be performing for the first time. And, where else can you go to hear kids playing Lucy In The Sky w/ Diamonds?

You are cordially invited.
Date: Sunday, December 17th
Time: 3:30 PM (start time, come earlier for seats)

Place: Schulman Auditorium at the Dove Library in Carlsbad.

Directions: 5 North to La Costa Ave. Go east. Take Left onto El Camino Real. Pass Aviara Prkway. Take Left onto Dove Ave. Library is straight ahead.Reception to follow.

Kelly would like to see lots of people come out for support. Just think, give these kids 10 years and they'll be the next local music scene.

KFS & Swim Party: Getting Blog Props

Cable and Tweed, and Atlanta based Music Blog, has put two of our local favorites in their "Rookies of the Year" list: Kite Flying Society and Swim Party. Not bad for just a list of three!

(Princeton is worth having a listen to as well....)